Clutch-operating mechanism



E. H. CARROLL.

CLUTCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPUCATION FILED JULYZI. l9ll- Patented July 5, 1921.

2 SHEE S-SHEET! m wq x w w In z/cnfoc .Elbecf acvoll. By PM 9 /%M jzii-ovneyj E H CARROLL.

CLUTCH OPERATING MECHANFSM.

APPLAIA IUN HLH) JULYN, I91? Patented July 5, 1921.

2 smfls swtr 7 wwwwma 0N UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELBERT BvCARROL L. OF WORCESTER. MASSACHUSETTS. ASSIGNOR T0 MORGAN CON- STRUCTION COMPANY. OF WORCESTER. MASSACHUSETTS. A CORPOIULTION 0F MASSACHUSET TS.

Application filed July 21, 1917. Serial No. 182.069.

To all whom it may conr'crn:

lie it known that I, Ennizirr H. (.aiiaonn, a eitizen of the l nited States, residing at Worcester, in thet'oiinty of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts. have in vented a new and useful Improvement in u ('lutrhl)pui'atiiig. Mei-hanisin. of which the following. together with the arrompanying drawings. is a spm-iiii-utiou.

The present invention relates to operating niei-hanisin for clutches, and is adapted for use with i-lutrhes in which the rluirhiug elements are intermittently thrown into ongagemrnt to effect a predetermined angular movement of a driven member from a constantly rotating drivin member.

' In certain rlasses ii heavy and massive machinery for the transmission of roiisiderable power, the movement of Slltll rlutrbiirL elements into and out of engagement with theneressiii'y rapidity is almost impossihln of uccom 'ilishment by hand. daito the weight and inertia of such parts. Moreover, when. as is often the rase .-thr driven 7 member is only to he rotated a single revolotion, or part of a revolution. the dillii-ulties of hand operation are inert-used. sinre it becomes impossible for an operator. especially when the parts to he moved are inassive, to effect their movements at the proper times. a

The present invention rontcmplnles the provision of an operating inerhanisui .for clutches of this class which is \\l1oll autoinatiiin its operation. as soon as the attendant sets the same in motion. .-\i-- cording to my invention. all the power required to move the ('lutr-liing elrniriits liotli into and out of engagement isifurnislu-d by the l-itlllltt of power nhosttransmission is desired. and thus the nei'i-ssitv for hand manipulation of the heavy parts is ellluinoted. Furthermore, owing to this autoniatie operation, the disrngagrua-nt of the rlutching elements is eil'rrtrd at exartlv the required time, and thus-all danger of rotating the driven ineinhi-r more than the desired single revolution, or part of a ravolution. is avoided. p

The above and other objects. whirh will heroine apparent as the description proi-eeds, are fully set forth hereinafter and pointed out iir'the annexed claims, i'vl'rr- 'rure heing had in connection with said de- Specification of Letters Patent.

lnti-ult-tl Julyf. 1921.

scription to. the aeronipanying drawings in whirlil'iguru l is a side view. partly in section, of il tllltt'll operating ua-rhanisni embodying my invention. l' 1g. 2 is a similar view. sliowii i. the parts ill a ditTrrt-nt p sition. and I'ig. ii |s a similar view. showing the parts in a still dilierent position.

.Likii'efi-ii-nre rharacteis refer parts in the dilirrent figures.

Referring to l'ig. 1. there is shown, in

to like ,i-oniirrtiou with the z-lutrh operating iiieehanism of nrv invention. a driving shaft 1, suitably mounted in a hearing or support :3 and rotated routinuouslv by a gear 3. or the like. from any suitable source of power, not shown. r vlindriral t'liguging meniher 4 surrounds the outer end of shaft. 1 and is serui-i-d to the hub 5 of gear wheel 3 by lmlts l passing through the flanges T and H of the engaging member 4 and the hub .i i'espertivel v.

'lfhe driven shaft 9. in alinrinrnt with the driving shaft 1. is adapted to he rotated in a hearing or support to, and rarries at its outer end the i-h-un'ut 11. whose intermittent rotation. through predetermined angles, is drqrrd. lhe shaft 9 is squared. or otherwise nizidr angular. at 12. on its.inner end.

to slidubl v Ii]: the rorresponding opening 3 The adjari-nt fares of sleeve 1-! and the sleeve is in the positiou'shown in Figs.

I and 3. the teeth 1-! will engage the teeth 1.. so as to be driven thereby. and tints through slrrvv I to drive the shaft; 9. When. the sleeve 13 is moved. by the met-hanisiii hereinafter described. into the position shown in Fig. 2. the teeth 14 and 15 are ral'rit'd out of engagement. thus disronnecting the driven un-mher i) from the driving member 1.

For reciprocating the sleeve 13 on the squared end 12 of shaft 9. us letillllled by the purposes of my mechanism provide a yoke structure H3. in the form a bell crank, whirh is pivoted at 17 to the station.- ary support 1". One arm 18 of said yoke carries a rain roll 19 which cooperates with 7 arm 22 of said voke carries a cam ml 23 u fill'e cum 9.0 on one side of an unnulur flange ll on sleeve 13. Another intelgml which is nduptet to cooperate with n fue mm 3 on the opposite side of tin 21 from the face cam 20. A third into rat arm 25 of said yoke projects downward, .incl is outed upon, below its ivot 1T, bv a-comprvssiun spring -26, u-hic l surrounds a rod or bar 2? thnt is pivoted at 28 in the stutiomu-y support; 10. The arm 25, which may he notched or slotted for the free move ment of rod 27 mljucent thereto, provides it concave recess in its-edge for the rece'ption of the convexface of n block 29 which is sliilnble onsaid rod. The spring 26 is confined between said block 29 and a notmull) fixed collar 80 on said rod, said collar bein :uljmztullle, by means of nuts 81, to vary the tension of Sllll'l spring. The force of said 5 iring is exerted to press the cam roll 1 against cam 220, und at uppx'm priute intervals to rock the yoke 16, so as to more sleeve 13 from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the :itinn shown in Fig. 8, thereby causing t e operative engagement of the clutching elements.

To this end, the lower end of arm 25 is adapted to cooperate with a shoulder 32 on o lei-er 33 which is pivoted at- 3-1 in a stationary support 35, and is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 2 b means of a spring 36, with the arm 25 in engagement with shoulder 32. to lock the yoke 16 against movement by the compiessed sprin 26. Also pivoted at M is an urm 87, which is l'lfilnnllly held depressed against a. stationaiy stop 38, by means of a light spring 89. Sold arm 37 has a de ndin extension 40, to the lower end of w-iich, a 41. is pivoted a latch fl which held yieldingly b a sprin 43 against a stop 44 with its e end ispooed below theadmeont and of lever 83; as shown in 2.

The pivoted lotoli 49 as integral therewith a trip arm 45, m the path of which is disposed a. stationary 5120 or abutment 46. The pivoted uni: B7 is a opted to be oseillated for the purpose of inaugurating the nutomiitio o ration of the above described. mechanism, eing movable, for this purpose, through a. small are between the fixed stop 38 which engages its lower edge and a fixed sto 47 which enguges its upper edge. To

' this end a cord, or other 0 rating means 43 may be attached in Bali Mm, with its other and convenient to the operator, who may, be stationed at some distance from the clutch. Obviously, any desired means may be employed to operate the arm 37, such for instance. as u, solenoid, not shown.

To operate suitl arm requires only that the light sprlngil!) be overcome, and this action, requiring no appreciable (ll-lift, iii ullicicnt in client the movements of the massive clutch elements, as hereinafter dusc-ribeil.

The operation of my impmml l'llll'lll operating mechanism is as folluws:-\\'ith the parts in the pzmitiom imlh-ntud in Fig. 2. The arm 37 being depressed. the yoke 16 is looked against operative nun-mount; due to its engagement with shoulder 32 and notwithstanding the fact that tluapriug ill: is under extreme compression. ln this position of the parts the rlntching elenwuts have been dismmn'evtml. as shown. sinnthe high part of fame mm 24 ms lu-on I'lll'l'lttl against cam roll 23. thus moving the sleeve 13 to the loft. Fig. 2. when the arm 37 is rocked urn-anally. by u ilmft tlu-mou whivh ml on y to overvonnthe light spring :49. the initial upward movement of hm-h 42 raises the adjacent end of lever 33 and thus lleipresses shoulder 32 of said lever enou h to re ease arm 25 of yoke 16. The full force of compressed spring 26 is thereby mode efl'eu tire to rock suid 'oke into tluposition shown in Fig. 3, this action occurring when the low mrt of earn 24 is adjacent cam roll 23 1116 tius per-mitt: r the depression of said cum roll and the orwurd movement of sleeve 13 under-flue influenoe of said spring.

Further'ugward movement of arm 37 and latch 42 hung: the trip arm 45 of said hitch against fixed stop 46. whereby said latch is rocked into the position vshown in Fig. :3. so as tobe withdrawn from henen tli {he adjacent and of lever 88. 'With the ports thus carried into the osltion shown in Fig. 3, by the expansive orceof spring 26, the clutchin elements are rendered operative to mto the driven shaft 9 in unison with the driving shaft 1 and this rotation continual-z while the raised mun 20 is coming into contact with the cam roll 19; As the higher portions of said cam become progresswel available, the yoke 16 is being rocked lmc to its normal. ition, and the ex anded string 26' is being iecompresserl on the rod 2 the clutchin en ement. molly, just as thehig est gortlon of cam 20 is leavhed, the cam roll 8, whiohhns been returned to operative position, is reached by the rising portion of cam 91, are shown in Fig. l. and thereu mn the sleeve .13 is moved to the left, to disengage the clutching elements at the compile tion of a single revolution of thedriven member. The return of yoke 16 to normal gosition has in the meantime brought the arm again behind the shoulder 32, the spring 36 permittinthe, necessary depression of lever 88 for is purpose, and thereafter insur' against the release of said yoke. It will i. us be seen that only a single revolution of the driven member is )ossible, even though the operator should hold the arm 37 ition indefinitely. It is a'm anotherrevolution of in its elevated not possible to 0 elements still remninin r in the drivel. member until the arm 37 is first returned to the position shown in Fig. 2 and then elevated again to the position shown in Fig. 3, to allow the lateh 42 to lift the lever 33.

By my invention the power required to move the elutching elements into and out of engagement is furnished by the maehiue itself, and the only force exerted by the operator is that required to overcome the iight spring 39. The power to move the sleeve 13 is stored up at each revolution of the driven member in the spring 26, and this power is not available until the arm 37 is elevated. With the construction shown, it is impos sible to obtain more than one revolution of the driven member at one time, since the power ot" the maehine is employed through t e ram 24 to throw the clutch out. of en a gcment after a single revolution has been rompleted. Obviously. by the provision of additional cams on the flange 21 of sleeve iii, any desired rotation of the driven member less than one revolution can be provided for, and-obviously such partial revolutions cannot be repeated without returning the arm 37 to its normal position, shown in felaim,

1. The eombination with a pair of engageable clutch members, of a pressing meansfor moving said members into engagement, means responsive to the rotation of said members for relieving the pressure of said pressing means. means responsive to the further rotation of said members for moving said members out of engagement. and. means for automatically locking said pridssing means in inoperative position.

2. The combination, with a pair of engageable elutch members, of means responsive to the rotation of said members in unison through a predeterminial angle for storing up a force adapted to move said members into engagement. means responsive to the rotation of said members for relieving them of said force, and means responsive to the further rotation of said members in unison for moving them out of engagement.

3. The eorrbinatiou, with a pair of engageablc clutch members, of a ressing means for moving said members into engagement. means operable by the rotation of said members in unison through a predetermined angle for relieving the pressure of said pressing means, and for thereafter mow ing said members out of engagement, and means For zultomatically looking said pressing means against operation after each predetermined rotation in unison of said members.

4. The combination. with a pair of en-.

gageable elutch members. of a pressing means adapted to move them into engagement. latehing means normally holding said pressing means inoperative, an operating member adapted for movement to release said latching means, whereby to render said pressing means eti'eetive to move said clutch members into engagement, and means responsive to a predetermined rotation of said members in unison for relieving the pressure of said pressing means. and for thereafter moving said members out of engagement.

T. The combination with a pair of engage able cluteh members and a spring for movin'g said members into cngagen'ieirt. of means responsive to the rotation of said members in unison through a predetermined angle for compressing said spring, other means for retaining it in compression. and means responsive to the further rotation of said members in unison for moving them out of engagement.

(i. The eombination with a pair of engage able elutch members and a spring pressed arm for moving said members into engagement. of a cam carried by one of said rlutrh members for moving said arm against said spring upon the rotation of said members in unison through a predetermined angle, means for ioek ug said arm in position with the spring rompressed, and a seeond ram for moving said eiuteh members out of engagement. upon the further rotation of said mem bers in unison.

T. The combination, with a pair of engageable elutch members. of a pressing means adapted to move them into engagement, latching means normaily holding said pressing means inoperative, an operating member adapted for movement "to release said latehing means, whereby to render said pressing means etl'eetive to move said clutch members into engagement, means operable by the rotation of said clutch members through a predetermined angle for rendering said pressing means inoperative, means for thereafter separating said clutching.

members. and means for preventing the reengagement of said clutching members until said operating member has been returned to normal position.

Dated this 18th day of July, 1917.

ELBERT H. CARROLL. Vi tnessas tinssrnn H. FAY, Tin-unions H. NYE. 

